A District View Hutt Wairarapa District

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1 Page 1 of 6 A District View Hutt Wairarapa District 1 July, 2012 Welcome to July s edition of A District View Greetings to all at the time of Matariki, the Maori New Year which has just been. It indicates our Masonic year is rapidly progressing - in fact the District team s tenure in our roles is now over half way. Many will not be aware of the Masonic connection to Matariki. The star cluster, in the constellation of Taurus, which the Maori know as Matariki is also known as Pleiades or the Seven Sisters (Suburu in Japan). To Freemason s they are said to represent the seven stars which represent the seven Freemasons required to make a Lodge perfect and to be present before any man can be made a Freemason. That s a quick daily advancement in knowledge! Trust this news brief continues to be informative. Fraternally The Wellington Masonic Youth Trust Just a timely reminder about the Wellington Masonic Youth Trust. The Trust was established in 2001 to provide assistance to young people who reside within the old Wellington Masonic District. The Trust considers applications to provide sponsor assistance to young persons of school age to 25 years to enable them to undertake character development, education and training activities. Assistance has been granted over a wide range of activities such as: Outward Bound, Special Olympics, Junior Olympics, Sports Training at National levels, Musical scholarships, Globe Theatre and such. Any application for support has to be made through a Lodge and that nominating Lodge will usually provide some form of financial support, too. The Lodge is expected to interview the applicant and complete a comprehensive Application Form. The form clearly itemises what documentation is required. Unfortunately, at times, the Application Forms submitted are either incomplete or lacking in adequate supporting information. This could obviously disadvantage any applicant. All Lodges are urged to ensure that the whole process is carefully and correctly followed. A hurried or incomplete application is not likely to be well received by the Trust. The Wellington Masonic Youth Trust is here to assist. If your lodge does not have an application form you can get a copy from the Wellington Masonic Youth Trust Secretary, W Bro Bob Lancaster at bobnl@xtra.co.nz District Charity Project: CAMP QUALITY The District team has been looking for some time for a worthwhile District project for the combined Lodges of the District to support. In considering suitable projects we were looking for a project which could involve all Lodges, had potential for a good public profile and could involve brethren in various ways. At the last District Meeting, following a proposal put forward by Bro Ed Reid of Trentham Lodge it was agreed to proceed with partnering Camp Quality Wellington. Hutt Wairarapa Workings July, 2012 Waihenga St. Johns Wed 4 July Installation - W. Bro James Martin, PM, PGS IN THIS MONTHS ISSUE The Wellington Masonic Youth Trust Camp Quality District Tenpin Bowling Event The Neonatal Knitting Project District Training Forum Meet Peter Snow Enhancing our Ceremonial Travelling Overseas Burns Night The Longest Morning Tea The Freemason's Scholars much more... Camp Quality provides the opportunity for young people with cancer to have a week long summer experience away from their families. The Freemason s in the Auckland region have been supporting Camp Quality for sometime and the Freemason s Charity have been suggesting it would be a good charity to support in conjunction with the Longest Morning Tea. Bro Reid s proposition was independent of these initiatives. The Camp Quality for Wellington representing the southern North Island (approx. equivalent to Central Division) is held in January, presently at Lindisfarne College in the Hawke s Bay. It costs about $ to $ per annum for each camp. The target we have set is a contribution of about one sixth or say $ Subject to a successful approach to the Freemason s Charity, this sets us the challenge to raise $6700 in funds or an average of about $600 per Lodge in the District. Watch out for more details. Di i T i B li E

2 Page 2 of 6 Our annual event has shifted nights - we re now holding it on a Friday night to encourage more of you to come out for a social event - the more the merrier. Great opportunity to bring friends out with spouses and partners. Pencil the 24 th August into your diary now. See link to notice and team nomination here. "BURNS" NIGHT This event was originally scheduled for earlier in the month but has been changed to allow more brethren to attend. PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS NOW PLANNED FOR FRIDAY 24 AUGUST The Neonatal Knitting Project The following update from Rosemary Salmon, the Divisional convenor for this very worthwhile initiative. The Project is progressing well with over 12,000 garments completed nationwide! 1500 of these garments have been knitted in this Division and presented between our eight units, with Mrs Jan Cooper being able to attend presentations in Masterton, Hawkes Bay, Wellington and New Plymouth. Your contribution to this project has been amazing and most appreciated. We have received "thank you cards/letters" from each unit. They are absolutely thrilled to have so many woollen garments especially as winter is now upon us. They commented that the majority of families do not have woollens at all for their babies, so being able to give them one or two items to take home with them is a bonus. Click here to read more about the knitting project. The Greytown St Marks Lodge is holding a Burns night on Saturday the 14th of July at the Lodge Rooms in Holloway St, Carterton. Drinks will start at 7.00pm and the meal at 7.30pm. Cost is $15 per person. For more details click here to view the flyer. Be quick though - the RSVP date is early in July. THE FREEMASON'S LONGEST MORNING TEA District Training Forum A successful second District Training Forum was held the last Tuesday last month with a number of Master Masons attending to participate in what we called Master Masons Module 1. If you are a Master Mason and were unable to get along look out for a repeat of this module later in the year as well as the proposed Master Masons Module 2. New Master Profile - Peter Snow, Master Elect - Stokes Valley Lodge Peter has certainly enjoyed a very distinquished career - reading his CV was a somewhat humbling experience for me! Peter has a Master Foreigngoing Certificate of Competency (Maritime), he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in New Zealand, and has a Master's Degree in Business Administration. Peter was also awarded the Queen's Service Medal (QSM) last year for services to the community. This was on the back of the Melvin Jones Fellowship which is awarded for outstanding humanitarian services in September, 2008 (this is one of Lion's International's highest awards). Peter has held more than 22 Directorships and Trusteeships. I'm as a loss to understand how Peter could have fitted it all in! Just a reminder that this event will be held on Saturday 7 July at Lodge Rooms throughout New Zealand. I am aware of a number of initiatives occuring in our District - in particular, an extensive programme planned at the Stokes Valley Lodge. Their activities include craft stalls and a magician. Well done on embracing this great event. More information on the Longest Morning Tea can be found by clicking here. Masonically, Peter was initiated into Lodge Windsor in April, 1994, passed in October 1994 and raised in Lodge Homewood in July, Peter is currently a member of Waihenga St John's Lodge; and Senior Warden of the Stokes Valley Lodge. Peter's masonic career has also included involvement in the Royal Arch, Cryptic Council, Sirius College and he is a member of the Naval Craftsman Group of Freemasons. MEET THIS YEAR'S FREEMASON'S SCHOLARS Both Peter's father and grandfather were Freemasons. His grandfather was Master of a number of Lodges in the early 1900s, and Master of the Edward Terry Lodge No EC in His father was initiated into East Sheen Lodge about Peter will installed into the chair of King Solomon on Saturday 14 July. Visitors will be admitted at 1.30pm. We will include photos of Peter's installation in our August edition. Enhancing Our Ceremonial... This month: Music in the Lodge Room. Music is an important feature in adding lustre to our ceremonies. Here are several pointers to ensure it s success. It is important to rehearse the songs in the song sheet particularly when the Lodge has visiting organists or a new operator using a CD. Brethren may need practice when to start in to a song i.e. is there a lead in or does the singing start straight away. Perhaps nominate one or two brethren to take the lead so other brethren can follow. Song sheet should reflect the words the Lodge actually sings - and visitors should use those words. When singing a song then direct the words at the candidate, particular during a tune such as that after the investiture of the apron. It looks poor with brethren looking disinterested and looking away or down at the song sheet. The words are in their own right are a message to the candidate from all present and they should be treated as such. There will be an opportunity to meet some of this years Freemason s Scholars at the August meeting of Lodge Zetland. Thomas Gaynor, who is doing a B Music, will give a brief recital on the organ while the other scholars will briefly talk about their studies. Don t miss this opportunity for Freemason s in both Hutt Wairarapa and Kapiti- Wellington to meet some brilliant young NZer s.

3 Page 3 of 6 Visiting While Overseas - W. Bro Don Staples shares his recent trip to Chicago Sincere thanks to W. Bro Don Staples the current Master of Waihenga St John's Lodge for sharing details with us of his recent visit while conducting visit in Chicago. Click on the picture of Don at left to see other pictures of their visit, including a photo inside the Lodge room. A planned business trip to Chicago in late May gave W Bro Geoff fellows (Empire Fergusson) and myself the opportunity to visit a Masonic Lodge in this area. W Bro Fellows with substantial masonic zeal quickly identified an opportunity that fitted our timetable, a Lodge that met on Friday night being King Oscar Lodge No contact quickly established that King Oscar was holding a working and also what they required in order to prove our masonic identity. This certainly demonstrates the power of the Internet and its ability to quickly connect masonic interests across the globe. Armed with a high quality certificate from Grand Lodge we were ready to visit. The night arrived WBro Fellows and I jumped into a cab to the Lodge, normally some 15 minutes drive from the centre of Chicago. It was remembrance weekend and the traffic into the city was substantial and at a stand-still. Our chatty Cab driver knew the shortcuts and we arrived in 20 minutes. The Lodge building was two storied and very old with a wide stone stairs leading to the top level. Access blocked by a long steel chain. As it happens it was already familiar to WBro Fellows who had previously walked down the street using Google Earth Street View. No lights were showing but we spied a person and found the side entrance. King Oscar is a dining Lodge and we shared a meal prepared by the daughter of a member. The choice was not dissimilar to ours chicken or Cabbage Rolls and mixed veges and very tasty. We were made very welcome and had the opportunity to mix with the members. The age and interests were similar to our own but they did have a larger number of younger brethren. As the sitting master, I was proved by the Secretary and a Deacon with our hands on a bible in a ritual much alike an obligation. The working of the evening was a triple second degree and the Lodge opened directly in the second degree. The Loge room was very large with one row of seats along the north and south sides. In the east sat only the master with no seating for visiting masters or Grand Lodge officers. The Lodge opened and I was seated on the North side as the first brother close to the entrance. The Senior deacon marched up to me and beckoned me forward - then asked for the secret of a Fellowcraft, I whispered the answer hoping I was correct at which the deacon much relieved responded quietly excellent, and turned and reported all was in order to the Master. Then each and every Brother in the Lodge was tested in the same manner. Then we were formally welcomed and I proudly loudly announced that we were visiting from New Zealand and gave our credentials. The acoustics were absolutely superb and my voice resounded through the Lodge Room. The Master then kindly invited Bro Fellows and I to sit with him in the East since this was a NZ custom. DISTRICT VISITS Our next exchange is planned with the Kapiti-Wellington District team undertaking the installation at Lodge Te Puni on Wednesday 5th September. The Hutt Wairarapa team will then undertake the installation for Westminster Lodge on Friday 21 st September. An exchange is also being planned with Eastland District with a visit to Napier later in the year. Watch this space. DISTRICT GRAND MASTER SELECTION Following endorsement at the last District Meeting our District GM Warwick Bell has forwarded to all Lodges in the District a proposal setting out a process for selection of the next District Grand Master. Each Lodge has been asked to consider the proposal and vote on their support of the proposal by the end of July. More information can be found here. The working was quite different to ours in process but in ritual terms there was a common thread of content sufficient for us to recognise that it was a second degree working. The pedestal was in the centre of the Lodge and the deacons worked around it. The master wore a hat (like half a top hat) and this was used in the ceremonial work for effect. The working tools were much diminished to ours however the Tracing Board played a key part in the ceremony. The two pillars, which were very old and stately, were movable and brought into the centre of the Lodge. The Tracing board was projected onto the south wall by a video projector and gave a great effect. The ritual working was excellent and of very high quality. Lodge regalia was quite different with their aprons worn being a white EA apron with one corner lifted to the top in the form of a triangle. Their collars of office were chains. In comparison our blue collars and masters aprons provided quite a contrast. No alcohol was allowed on the premises so we enjoyed a cup of coffee after the working. From recollection some 12 Lodges met at these Lodge Rooms and King Oscar had a large membership - in excess of 260 members. Suffice to say we left the Lodge that evening with many new friends and a promise to return. The Masters name was Gary Wayne Hardesty On the Road Again... Record these important dates in your calendar.

4 Page 4 of 6 On the Lighter Side... Each month we include a famous quote made by a Freemason. This month s quote is from Brother Mark Twain: "Let us endeavour so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry"....and here is the next in a series of turn of the century (1900 s) postcards taking a frivolous view of Freemasonry. IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU... This newsletter is a great vehicle for communicating all of the local news and events to you. However it is also a fantastic way for YOU to get your message out to other Lodges and other Masons. If you ve got something interesting happening in your patch, need help with a special event or working, or just want to share your news with like-minded Mason s in the District then this is for you. All you need to do is your copy to editor@themasons.org.nz and we will take care of the rest. If you have photographs or pictures you want included in your article - those to us as well. Our deadline for material is the 20th of the month. We can add a day or two if we know it s coming! So have you fathomed out the mystery baby...? So have you managed to fathom out which illustrious member of the craft in your district belongs to the baby picture at the left? It's none other than the Master elect for the Stokes Valley Lodge, Brother Peter Snow. We all wish Peter the very best for his Installation on 14 July.

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